Influence of organic mulching and nitrogen application on essential oil yield and nitrogen use efficiency of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) |
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Authors: | Munnu Singh |
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Affiliation: | 1. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Research Centre , Bangalore , India munnusingh10@yahoo.co.in |
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Abstract: | In a field study conducted at Bangalore, India for two years (2003–2004 and 2004–2005), eight treatment combinations consisting of two variables, organic mulch (lemongrass spent material as mulch at 7.5 t ha?1 and no mulch) and four levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha?1) were examined to observe the effect of organic mulching on nitrogen use-efficiency, and herb and essential oil yield in a multiharvested rosemary crop. The results revealed that application of lemongrass spent material as mulch increased the herb and essential oil yields in rosemary by 16.2 and 24.2%, respectively, over the non-mulched control at first harvest. Corresponding values for the regenerated crop harvest were 18.8 and 16.8%. A significant response to N was observed with 300 kg N ha?1 in non-mulched plots compared with 200 kg N ha?1 in mulched plots. Using lemongrass spent material as mulch, nitrogen uptake by the rosemary crop increased by 15.1% over the non-mulched control. At 200 kg N ha?1, apparent recoveries by the crop were estimated to be 33.64% for the non-mulched control, and 37.79% with mulch. The quality of the rosemary essential oil, in terms of the concentrations of its major constituents, α-pinene, 1 : 8 cineole, camphor and verbenone, was not affected by the use of organic mulching and nitrogen fertilization, and these constituents were found to be of astandard acceptable in international trade. |
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Keywords: | rosemary crop lemongrass spent material as mulch nitrogen fertilization herb and essential oil yields N-use efficiency |
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